Theresa May confident of reaching Brexit deal

Downing Street insisted Monday that Prime Minister Theresa May is confident of securing a Brexit deal with the EU despite British Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox's assertion that the UK appears set to crash out of the EU without reaching an agreement.

Whitehall sources said they believe there is only a very small chance of the government failing to secure a deal, but that preparations are being stepped up in what they described as the unlikely event of that happening.

It has been reported that Fox's statement was part of a strategy to pressure the EU leaders to seriously consider May's proposals. Former Brexit Secretary David Davis has warned that the EU might be making a huge mistake to assume that the UK is not prepared to leave the bloc without a trade deal.